Wilmington Blue Rocks 2024 Season Preview - Batters

Baseball is back at Frawley Stadium for the 2024 season. While many positional players are returnees on this season’s Wilmington Blue Rocks roster, a lot of excitement surrounds the new faces joining the squad from other Washington Nationals affiliates. After going 55-75 and finishing last in the South Atlantic League North last season, the Rocks have a lot to prove this year.

Manager Mario Lisson returns for his third consecutive year as the Blue Rocks manager. He brings with him the majority of his previous crew, with the addition of hitting coach Delwyn Young. A former MLB utility player, Young comes to Wilmington after spending the last two seasons as the hitting coach for the Fredericksburg Nationals.

Catchers

Matt Suggs and Maxwell Romero Jr make up the catchers room in Wilmington. Despite an injury mid-way through the year, Suggs managed to record a .284 batting average, 20 RBIs, and 33 hits, five of which made their way out of the ballpark. The right-hander led the returning roster in both slugging and OPS last season with .509 and .863, respectively.

Romero Jr, a member of the Nationals 2022 draft class, earned his spot on the team after playing with the Single-A Fredericksburg Nationals. The left-handed batter recorded a .266 batting average with 47 hits, seven home runs, and 29 RBIs with the Single-A team.

Infielders

All eight of Wilmington's Opening Day infielders are returnees to Frawley Stadium. Many worked their way from Fredericksburg mid-season, including first basemen Murphy Stehly and Branden Boissiere in mid-July, as well as shortstops Sammy Infante and Cortland Lawson in early August.

Stehly had the highest batting average of the returning roster in 2023 with a respectable .314. Despite it being Boissiere’s second season with the Blue Rocks, he has been a member of the Nationals organization since he was selected by the team in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft. Similarly, Infante, who was drafted by the Nationals 71st overall in 2020, is headed into his fourth season with the organization.

2024 marks Will Frizzell’s second season with the Blue Rocks. The first baseman/designated hitter has become a source of power and productivity. Despite joining the team a month into the regular season last year, he recorded 59 hits and led the returning roster with nine home runs and 35 RBIs.

Dominican Republic native Kevin Made is back for his second season in Wilmington. The Nationals received the shortstop in a late-July trade package last year with the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Jeimer Candelario. Another Dominican Republic native, second baseman Viandel Pena is back for his third season as a Blue Rock. He led the returning roster with 35 RBIs, 52 runs, and 67 walks in 2023, proving his keen eye and productivity at the plate.

Outfielders

With so many returning players to kick off the 2024 season for the Blue Rocks, the lone new batters on the roster are outfielders Elijah Nunez and Johnathon Thomas. After being drafted by the Nationals in 2023, Nunez spent his first season in the minor leagues working his way from Rookie to A. Because of a convincing performance including a .282 batting average and .719 OPS with the Fredericksburg Nationals, the center fielder earned himself a spot on the organization’s High-A affiliate roster to start the upcoming season.

Thomas spent his first two seasons with the FCL Nationals and Fredericksburg Nationals. The organization drafted him in 2022, and this is the right fielder’s first call-up to High-A. Thomas finished last season with Fredericksburg with a .226 batting average, .639 OPS, and 65 stolen bases. His goal for this year? "100 stolen bases."

Despite being familiar faces in the clubhouse, big stories surround the Blue Rocks’ returning outfielders. Daylen Lile was the center of a big injury scare towards the end of spring training. He attempted to chase and catch a ball soaring in the outfield against the Boston Red Sox in late March. Instead, Lile flipped into the opposing team’s bullpen, was carted off, and taken to a nearby hospital. Fortunately, the center fielder is healthy and ready to start the season. Lile looks to improve in all aspects of his game this year including base-running, fielding, and contributing to more wins.

TJ White and Jared McKenzie are each back for their second seasons in Wilmington. White was drafted in the fifth round by the Nationals in 2021 and has spent the last three seasons in the organization. At 6’2” 210 lbs, White utilizes his height to snag high-arching balls defensively, and his size to add power behind his swings on offense.

Texas native Jared McKenzie returns as one of the most active batters on the 2023 Blue Rocks roster. With 378 plate appearances, McKenzie led the team in a large majority of batting statistics including the most hits (80), doubles (19), and RBIs (35, tied with Frizzell and Pena).

With a few new hitters and a new hitting coach, there is the possibility for a lot of improvement on offense this season.